Activision Blizzard's Scandal Gets More Complicated
Yet another scandalous story has surfaced regarding Activision Blizzard's continuing struggle with a toxic workplace culture. The Wall Street Journal has reported on a suspicious detail that makes the scandal seem more complicated than fans previously realized. Those familiar with the matter have claimed that Activision Blizzard has actively tried to hide the number of people who have been terminated or reprimanded for their workplace misconduct in the past year.
Sources told WSJ that Activision Blizzard has "fired or pushed out" over three dozen employees and "disciplined" about 40 others since July 2021 in an effort to finally address allegations of sexual harassment and other misconduct. This would mean that approximately 80 people have been punished for their behavior, but this is the first time the public has been made aware of the sheer scope of the problem.
Of course, this wouldn't be the first time Activision Blizzard has been accused of manipulating the narrative, as previous reports alleged that CEO Bobby Kotick knew about the problems at his company for some time before it all came to light. These reports and the sheer number of lawsuits facing the company have soured Activision Blizzard's reputation among fans and employees alike. Here's why attempting to hide the numbers makes the Activision Blizzard scandal even more complicated.
The Activision Blizzard case gets even worse
Activision Blizzard was supposedly planning to release the numbers of fired and disciplined individuals before the winter holidays. However, according to WSJ, Bobby Kotick held them back in fear that the truth would "make the company's workplace problems seem bigger than is already known." Despite the effort to cleanse the company as promised, critics feel that hiding the numbers indicates that Kotick still cares more about the company's image than acknowledging the moral ramifications of workplace misconduct.
This whole mess started when the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing started investigating allegations against Activision Blizzard in a lawsuit about its "frat boy" culture. Spokespeople originally denied the allegations, but it became increasingly difficult to defend the company as more employees spoke out. Further investigation revealed that Bobby Kotick apparently participated in and actively hid instances of sexual harassment and misconduct, a practice that seems to be continuing, according to The Wall Street Journal's latest report.
Hiding the number of firings hasn't done much more than convince people that there's even more scandalous information lurking behind company doors. Many are still calling for Kotick to resign, which may or may not happen until Microsoft finalizes its purchase of Activision Blizzard.